Saartjie Baartman Centre

Brief description and main aims

Saartjie Baartman Centre provides shelter for Abused Women & Children. The Centre opened in May 1999 and is a unique ‘one stop’ centre for women who experience domestic violence. The Centre serves as a model of service clustering entrepreneurial spirit by women for their own economic empowerment. www.saartjiebaartmancentre.co.za

Main Activities

The Shelter for women and their children has a 24 hour emergency hotline seven days a week. These women experience domestic and /or sexual violence, with Shelter residents largely managing themselves. Through personal, economic and social empowerment programmes, Shelter residents equip them selves with invaluable life and job skills to reintegrate successfully into their community within an average period of 4 months.

Volunteer tasks

Residential Programme Volunteers:

Assist the residential programme staff to perform tasks required for the optimal functioning of the residential programme.

Project is situated in what is called the Cape Flats which gets it’s name from the flat sandy stretch of land located in the outskirts of Cape Town Central. Residence of the area are predominantly of mixed race decent which is formally referred to as ‘coloured” as specified by the previous Apartheid regime.

Hosting Situation (Board & Lodging)

Host family accommodation in Athlone or surrounding areas. Volunteers will use public transport (bus or mini-bus taxi) to and from work placement. This is included in the package.

Additional info

This project is appropriate for a Short Term or Long Term Placements.

The project will only accept Female Volunteers.

Preference will be given to volunteers who are qualified or studying in the field of Social Work, Occupational Therapy; Child Care; Entrepreneurship

This project will not suit volunteers who have a history of family instability or volunteers who are recovering from emotional trauma.